Diaz, ‘Cyborg’ Hit Marks for Strikeforce

Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz and
his eight-fight winning streak hit the scales a little more than 24
hours out from his scheduled title defense against Evangelista
“Cyborg” Santos.

Diaz checked in at 169.5 pounds for his showdown with Santos
(169.5) in the Strikeforce
“Diaz vs. Cyborg” headliner on Saturday at the HP Pavilion in
San Jose, Calif. The six other men booked for main card duty --
middleweight champion Ronaldo
“Jacare” Souza (184.25) and his challenger, Robbie
Lawler (184), included -- also made weight without incident at
Friday’s official weigh-in.

The world-ranked Diaz last appeared under the Strikeforce banner in
October, when he took a unanimous decision from former EliteXC
lightweight champion K.J. Noons.
The 27-year-old Stockton, Calif., native had finished his seven
previous foes. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Cesar
Gracie, Diaz has long been revered as one of the sport’s most
effective and dynamic offensive fighters. He has secured 19 of his
23 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission.
Wins over reigning Dream welterweight champion Marius
Zaromskis, one-time UFC middleweight champion Frank
Shamrock, Japanese standout Hayato “Mach”
Sakurai,
American Top Team’s Gleison
Tibau and “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 4 finalist Chris Lytle
highlight his outstanding resume.

Santos has not competed since June, when he stopped Zaromskis on
first-round punches in his welterweight debut at Strikeforce “Los
Angeles.” Spawned by the
Chute Boxe Academy, the 33-year-old Brazilian has delivered
more than half (11) of his 18 career wins by KO or TKO. He will
carry a two-fight winning streak into his duel with Diaz, easily
the most significant bout of his 13-year career. Santos twice
fought for the Cage Rage light heavyweight championship, falling to
Melvin
Manhoef in 2006 and James Zikic a
little more than a year later.